Return to Australia

I've just returned from a two week visit to China and Hong Kong. The trip was a real challenge of faith, since even a week before I was to go, my health status was still not up to par. Right up to the days before I was to leave, I was believing the Lord for a major turnaround in my health. And on Good Friday, I had begun to notice a major change for the better. While I was away in China, I continued to see great improvements in my health, allowing me to enjoy the trip to the full. And now, upon my return, I can give testimony to the wonderful grace of the Lord: For all intents, I'm now experiencing 100% health.

There are three major symptoms that I've held up to the Lord all along:

1. My appetite and capacity to eat.
2. My energy levels (i.e. general feeling of health).
3. The status of pain.

The first two have seen a major turnaround. My appetite, for example, has almost returned to normal (although this can just be seen as a result of ending the chemotherapy). The big evidence of a change, though, is in my capacity to eat. I can now eat about 2/3 of the meal size I could handle before the cancer. If you had seen the photographs of the size of my stomach (from the gastroscopy) you would realise just what a miracle this is - the tumour in my stomach had essentially reduced my stomach to a fraction of its previous size, so for me to be able to enjoy a full course meal is a genuine miracle.

The last item on my symptom list still remains, although the pain is being managed well. And so the total elimination of pain is now a primary focus of my faith.

I believe that in April I turned a major corner in the healing process the Lord is bringing in my life. At the moment, the evidence is just symptomatic, but I cannot tell you what a difference it is to feel "healthy." As soon as the third symptom, pain, sees a change, I'll organise a scan to confirm the objective status of my healing.